More about STEVE BLUM:

"Steve is a real poet of the guitar strings" ...James Gavin,  writer, biographer and  journalist author of "The Strange Life of Peggy Lee "

Performing on acoustic and electric guitars, as well as the Puerto Rican cuatro, he can coax many sounds from his instruments. “The Stream,” for example, has a very fluid and dreamy quality. A Thelonious Monk bebop composition, “Bright Mississippi,” is presented with plenty of twang of the slide guitar… Like Monk, the rendition displays a copious amount of personality and technique … Throughout this CD, he is right on, emphasizing his astute understanding of the evolution of jazz music and his own personal vision…Stephen Blum is a remarkable musician. “ -Joe Ross, Roots Music Report, CDInsight

His taste and chops are impeccable… Blum has explored rather vast reaches of the world's musical landscape completely on his own terms.” -Clifford Allen, The Austinist

The CD is Great, The music is Magic.”- Jassvan De Lima, host and producer of Som do Brasil, one of the leading Brazilian music shows in New York City on WKCR 89.9 FM

“Stephen Blum is truly an American treasure” -American Music Project, Janet Soleski

“An extraordinary talent” -The Montreal Gazette- Len Dobbins, jazz journalist

https://www.facebook.com/BluGuitar99/

From James Gavin ( author and jazz writer)

May 22 at 3:54am · 








Should you happen to be in the vicinity of Indiana, PA this coming Saturday, May 27 - and even if you aren't - check out this page on a beautiful jazz guitarist, Steve Blum, whom Peggy Lee discovered in 1966. You can hear her introduce him on the album of her 1968 Copa act, "Two Shows Nightly." He is a burning musician who went on to make quite an impact as fusion was budding; his sensitivity on ballads knocked Peggy out. How I wish I could be there.
 


Delaney Chevrolet Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival | Steve Blum and the Molecular Organ Trio


WESTSYLVANIAJAZZANDBLUES.ORG

https://www.indianagazette.com/news/indiana-news/jazz-and-blues-festival-provides-full-day-of-music,26408398/

Jazz and blues festival provides full day of music May 28, 2017 12:58 AM Click For Gallery

• Kevin Stiffler from The Indiana Gazzette said, “Steve: the heat from your guitar rose up and chased the clouds away!”
• Steve Blum and the Molecular Organ Trio performed Saturday at the annual Westsylvania Jazz and Blues Festival in downtown Indiana. The all-day music fest featured a number of bands, including headliner, Joanna Connor, on Saturday evening. The festival continued into the wee hours with jam sessions at locations around (Kevin G. Stiffler/Gazette)

“This is a trio definitely worth catching for a dynamic performance. As far as guitarists goes, Steve Blum is not a household name, but he should be. … jaw dropping “

—Saul Addison, Time Out NY, March 2017

More about STEVE BLUM:

• Performing on acoustic and electric guitars, as well as the Puerto Rican cuatro, he can coax many sounds from his instruments. “The Stream,” for example, has a very fluid and dreamy quality. A Thelonious Monk bebop composition, “Bright Mississippi,” is presented with plenty of twang of the slide guitar… Like Monk, the rendition displays a copious amount of personality and technique … Throughout this CD, he is right on, emphasizing his astute understanding of the evolution of jazz music and his own personal vision…Stephen Blum is a remarkable musician.            “-Joe        Ross, Roots Music Report, CDInsight

• His taste and chops are impeccable… Blum has explored rather vast reaches of the world's musical landscape completely on his own terms.”                -Clifford Allen, The Austinist
• The CD is Great, The music is Magic.”- Jassvan De Lima, host and producer of Som do Brasil, one of the leading Brazilian music shows in New York City on WKCR 89.9 FM

• “Stephen Blum is truly an American treasure” -American Music Project, Janet Soleski
• “An extraordinary talent”     -The Montreal Gazette- Len Dobbins, jazz journalist

At that point in time, Steve’s favorite jazz guitarists were Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery and Tal Farlow. “Toots Thielemans showed me a lot on the guitar that I found invaluable. He was a type of mentor to me. I’ve thanked him many times since because he did not have to share what he knows with another guitarist.”

During that period, Steve Blum recorded some of the earliest jazz/rock fusion, being well featured on The Masters Of Deceit, an album for the Vanguard label by Tom Hensley’s Electric Jazz Band & Synthetic Symphonette. “It was an early progressive rock band. We played dances at the University of Miami, had some gigs in Chicago and opened for Iron Butterfly. To this day, people still like our recording and some even want me to reform the band and play its music.

As time passed, Steve Blum became very active as a recording guitarist, appearing on many sessions while often being uncredited and sometimes not even getting to hear the final results. “I recorded with an orchestra for Teo Macero but I never heard how it came out or found out what it was for. I’ve been on many many recording sessions through the years but some of the most memorable ones were the ones that I did not get to appear on for one reason or another. During one period I was temporarily without a phone, I got a call on a friend’s phone to play on a James Brown record date but, by the time I got the message, it was already too late.” Among the notables who Steve did get the chance to work with were percussionist Carlos “Patato” Valdez, multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, bassist Ceil McBee and organists Jack McDuff and Dr. Lonnie Smith. He spent periods working in Montreal, New Orleans and Los Angeles in addition to New York and had opportunities to visit much of the world.

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Steve Blum is mentioned/ quoated five times  in the new biography of Ms Peggy Lee by James Gavin -) 

Praised by the New York Times Book Review as “fascinating, suspenseful, careful, musically detailed, and insightful,” this is a long-overdue biography of recording artist and musical legend Peggy Lee.

With elegant writing and impeccable research, including interviews with hundreds who knew Lee, acclaimed music journalist James Gavin offers the most revealing look yet at an artist of infinite contradictions and layers.

Hello Steve,
I was so happy to meet you at Fat Cat. You just never know when your path is going to cross with family and I do consider us family! The Jazz  and Blues world is losing so much talent and I am always inspired to get a chance to meet and hear artist's who keep the integrity of this amazing american art form alive!

I have had a chance to listen to the CD that you gave me and wanted to tell you that I was immediately transported to the area's that your music drew from. The latin influence and the Mississippi southern style were among my favorites. I am so impressed by the range to which you communicate through your instrument!